A FARNHAM charity supporting impoverished children in southern India has been in the thick of the drama after the region experienced its worst monsoon in nearly a century earlier this summer.

Children’s Homes in Kerala State (Chiks), in its 22nd year, suffered extensive damage, with a total loss of its farm.

However, as founder and former Herald editor Robin Radley said, while hundreds lost their lives and more than a million people were left homeless in Kerala, none of Chiks’ 200 girls and boys in care was injured.

Mr Radley, who lives in Rowledge, said that the charity’s trustees and others were now throwing themselves into fundraising, as initial estimates for the repair of damage - largely resulting from landslip and battering from heavy debris in the fast-moving floods - topped £40,000.

One of the three children’s homes that Chiks created in the south-western Indian state is the Carmel Matha Santhi Bhavan, situated in the worst-hit district of Wayanad, a top tourist attraction in normal times, framed as it is by mountains and lakes.

The home had to be abandoned during the worst of the August deluge, which added day and night to the torrents of deep and fast-moving water, that brought with it trees and boulders.

Another Chiks’ home in the hills and mountains of central Kerala is named Little Flower. Chiks added 120 children to the seven-acre site, which was originally created for destitute adults.

Little Flower converted part of the site as a smallholding and Chiks provided a modern cowshed and cows, plus a biogas plant. Last year a polyhouse was provided with support from Farnham’s two Rotary clubs for the all-season provision of vegetables and fruit.

Some two years earlier, The Lions Club of Farnham, together with twinned German club Frankenberg Lions, raised almost £25,000 with an ‘Indian Spectacular’ gala dinner at a private motor museum in Churt, that resulted in a medical centre being created at the Little Flower Home, and Robin Radley opened the facility in 2016.

Along with the 120 young people at Little Flower, another 80 are in care at the charity’s other homes - and almost all have backgrounds of utter poverty - families often existing in wild and remote areas, including forests, with no basic facilities.

Chiks provides the destitute children with basic needs including food, total health care, security and education.

Mr Radley added Kerala, dubbed ‘God’s Own Country’, depended on tourism.

“So much of the infrastructure is now needing to be replaced or repaired after what was the worst flooding disaster in almost a century,” he said.

“Roads and bridges collapsed as the saturated earth moved; whole homes and many occupants were engulfed by the landslip.”

Networks have also failed and communication remain difficult at times. Children and staff who needed to abandon the Carmel Matha Home found shelter nearby after the main buildings were found to have been fractured.

“I have only intermittent connections. They are safe but are praying that their home will somehow be saved,” continued Mr Radley.

The Lions Club of Farnham are among organisations working with Chiks to offer support, and the Rotary Club of Farnham has decided to make a donation towards repair work at the Carmel Matha Home.

Furthermore, in support of Chiks’ Kerala disaster appeal for funds, Farnham Rotary Club member Michael Atkinson organised a charity fundraising walk involving the Clarendon Way pilgrim route from Salisbury to Winchester.

Walking with him for the first half to Broughton, were Rotary Club colleague Norma Corkish and grandson Luke Hamilton. Some days later Michael and Luke returned to Broughton to complete the total of 42km, achieved in six and a quarter hours.

If you think you can help, please email the Lions Club of Farnham at [email protected] . Find further details of Chiks’ work on the Farnham Lions website www.farnhamlions.org.uk/index/sponsoringchildreninindia.html .

Floods in the southern state of Kerala in India left more than 483 people dead, 15 still reported missing, and at least a million displaced in August. It is the worst flood in Kerala since the so-called ‘great flood of 99’ that happened in 1924; the ‘99 referring to the year 1099 ME in the Malayalam Calendar.